I typically make large quantities of pierogis, usually with a friend and while watching an old movie, but it would be easy to make these in small quantities as well whenever one has leftover mashed potatoes, or the opportunity to make extra for a meal..
It’s a simple matter of mixing sour cream and flour together in nearly equal amounts…about half again more flour than sour cream…so 2 Cups of sour cream to 2 – 3 Cups of flour. I begin by mixing in the 2 cups, then measuring a 3rd and mixing in as much as possible. Then in the rolling, I find that the remaining part of the 3rd cup is incorporated.
Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for a while if you are not in a rush to eat these. I usually make the potatoes and dough on one day, and roll the pierogis the next.
The recipe indicates one pound white cheddar for 10 potatoes, but this is a rough number, which depends on the size and flavour of the potatoes, the sharpness of the cheese you use, and your personal taste.
You should let the pierogis dry out a bit before cooking, as it is a pasta of sorts. I turn them over when the tops are dry to let the bottom air out. Be sure to lay them on cloth, not paper, as they will stick to anything but fabric.
My Ukrainian friend Shona says that at a pierogi party you would use a double bed to dry them on, and would not start cooking until the bed was full. Then, start cooking the first ones that were made. She also has suggested that when they are made and before they are frozen (if you are making enough to freeze, and you should) you should boil them all, she says and toss them in melted butter to coat them.
A lovely dish, full of comfort and warmth. My father used to say that fish was ‘brain food’. This is ‘brain food’ that the stomach will also love.
Great when it’s hot out of the oven, and this recipe can also be fully cooked, then frozen. Thaw on countertop and then reheat to warm through. This dish is always enjoyable.
As to the flour used, this is mainly a white bread recipe, but I often use a combination of 2cups white, 1cup whole wheat, and 1/2 cup flax meal.
Also, ideally one would use “Hard Wheat” flour, but All Purpose will work. For specialty flours, one can often find these in bulk food stores, especially the “health food store” variety, and also in gourmet shops.
The original instructions call for a dutch oven, but I currently don’t have one, so used a ceramic casserole dish. I also used a pyrex casserole, but it broke, so I don’t recommend them for this. The temperature shift between the hot casserole and the room temperature bread is almost certainly the culprit.
I first had this cornbread at Mr Rick and the Biscuits, CD release party for Cocktails & Cornbread in 2005 (here’s the title song, somewhat earlier at the Distillery Jazz Festival, where I met Lisa Shamai, local caterer extraordinaire, and the creator of this delicious, spicy, cornbread recipe.
A warm and gracious woman, Lisa has been cooking in Toronto for decades, at one time running a jazz club on weekends at her catering facility, Lisa Shamai Cuisinerie. Sadly, it was a brief candle, and the club blew out before I got to see it. Happily, the catering company is still with us.
I’ve always loved Johnnycake, aka cornbread and enjoyed this one a great deal at the show, going back to sneak extra helpings of the spicy, cheesy bread. Lisa was gracious enough to share it with me for this soup and bread edition of Eatin’s Canada and we thank her for it. I suggest you try it with the 3Bean Chili recipe from January…and lots of butter. Yummy.
Inspired by a long ago shuttered Chinese restaurant in Portland, Oregon… Lu Yen. Located on the corner of NW 22nd and Jefferson St., it was home to many dinners and special events with my family. The memories remain...
This is a very basic beef stew. It’s easy, delicious and inexpensive to make. While there are hundreds of variations of this traditional recipe, it’s hard to improve on this version’s savory and comforting goodness. Serve with Sadza and Curried Kale.
